Corrosion of High-Density Sintered Tungsten Alloys. Part 1: Immersion Testing

摘要

Sintered tungsten alloys are candidate materials for certain Australian ammunition components, namely kinetic energy penetrators, because of their high density. It is probable that a storage life of twenty years in an uncontrolled environment will be a requirement for this ammunition. Thus there is a need to determine the long-term storage capability of these alloys, in particular their capability to remain uncorroded during this period. The corrosion behavior of four candidate alloys was evaluated through weight loss measurements after total immersion in both distilled water and 5 percent sodium chloride solution. The propensity of these alloys to corrode in a crevice situation was assessed in the sodium chloride solution. Some insight into the mechanism of corrosion was afforded by an examination of the surfaces after tests using the SEM and through an analysis of the corrosion products.